Winston Churchill said "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." Real estate professionals know their neighborhoods like no one else and are in a unique position to help others. My name is Bill Edge and I am a Houston inner loop realtor. I believe that giving back to our community is essential. This includes helping clients in need by offering our professional skills Pro bono, providing mortgage assistance and help with closing costs.

When I see someone I can help, I do it and so can you. Here are three stories I’ll share. I hope they’ll give you the motivation to make stories of your own that you can pass on too.

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Once many years ago, I had a buyer who was so tall he could have been a Harlem Globetrotter, so I’ll call him HG. He drove the biggest pickup truck ever with a large bed and double wheels on the back. His home was located in a dangerous neighborhood, strafed by gunfire and patrolled by roving gangs. He asked me if I could help him escape from his perilous living circumstances, especially because his 11 year old daughter was at risk from the unpredictable violence which plagued their home. HG was a single parent and could not be there much of the time.

I was fortunate and found them a brand new home in a safe area of Houston where HG could sleep at night without worrying about his daughter being hit by gunfire. At closing he broke down crying with happiness, and I couldn’t help but join in. I knew I was in the right profession; one where I could make a difference in people’s lives.

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As Christmas time approached one year, I helped a family find a mortgage assistance program to help them buy a home. As time progressed, it became quite obvious that they had insufficient funds for closing. I kept reducing my commission until I had no commission left. When I finally got notice of the closing, I felt somewhat depressed. I had worked so hard, yet had nothing to show for it. I did not want to go to closing, but I did as I always do. The HUD was late, and I did not see it until I sat down at the closing table. To my surprise the other realtor, who I had never spoken to other than to send amendments giving my commission to my client, had split his fee with me. This gesture made me proud to be a realtor.

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One of my clients was a homeless woman. I don’t recall how we met, but I would pick her up and show her houses while stopping here and there to help her do some shopping. She was expecting an insurance check for $45,000 from a drug company as a result of a settlement. Her criteria for finding a home were that it be in walking distance to public transportation, a liquor store and a grocery store and that the price of the home could not exceed the settlement amount. During the time we looked at potential places to live, I must have seen every gang member in Houston. We eventually found a foreclosure which fulfilled her requirements. She was finally off the streets and living in her own home.

I have helped dozens of families leave bad neighborhoods and find affordable housing. In some apartments children were getting bitten by rats and in others pit bulls were out on patrol. Doors with 8 locks on them and more bars than a prison were common. I have gone into neighborhoods the police will not go into without a convoy and picked people up to show them a home in a better part of town. Many times I have given refrigerators, washers, dryers and my commission away. My recurring thought has been that for the grace of God this could be me - and maybe, just maybe, I can make their life a little better.

When we reach out to help another person, we can make their lives better as well as our own. No matter what profession you’re in, Pro bono is for the good of all. Here are some tips for realtors:

· When you have sellers with serious financial difficulty, waive your commission.

· When your client is a low income buyer, who can’t afford to make repairs on a fixer upper, donate your commission to improve his quality of life.

· Give free representation to low income clients at tax assessment hearings to lower property taxes.

· Donate your commission to people living in crime ridden neighborhoods, so they can buy a fixer upper in a safe neighborhood. Ask the selling agent to donate too.

Make a difference, tell your story and let everyone know how you can change lives when you give back to the community.